Fashion labels from Cambodia, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, Denmark and Turkey will participate for the first time in Hong Kong’s Centrestage 2019 next month.
Speaking at a media preview of the event yesterday, Hong Kong Trade Development Council executive director Benjamin Chau said this year the show features some 240 brands and more than 40 fashion events, offering an ideal platform for fashion brands and designers to gain international exposure, and helping to reinforce Hong Kong’s position as a leading fashion hub in the region.
Centrestage 2019 will run from September 4 to 7 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, organised by the HKTDC and sponsored by Create Hong Kong.
Chau said he was pleased to see a greater number of local and international fashion brands participating at this year’s event, underscoring the event’s position as Asia’s leading launch and marketing platform for fashion brands and highlighting its ability to create diverse business opportunities.
“Future Tribes” will be the central theme this year and there will be three thematic zones: Allure – representing craftsmanship, refinement and elegance; Iconic – displaying avant-garde designs; and Metro – showcasing “contemporary, minimalistic expressions of urban life”.
This year’s show will feature more than 80 local brands along with international labels from Mainland China, France, Italy, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the US and more. Thirty-six buying missions comprising about 1600 international fashion buyers have been organised to visit the event, providing opportunities for designers to interact with the industry and get useful market insights.
At an opening gala show on September 4, dubbed Centrestage Elites, will include the global launch of the 2020 Spring collections from Hong Kong designer Anais Mak’s internationally renowned brand, Anais Jourden, and New York designer Joseph Altuzarra’s brand, Altuzarra.
A subsequent runway show will feature seven local designer labels that have made an impact around the world, including 112MountainYam, DorisKath, From Another Planets, Harrison Wong, Meiking Ng, Methodology and Yeung Chin.
Another highlight of Centrestage 2019 will be the finals of the Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers’ Contest on September 7. VIP judge for YDC 2019 is Japanese designer Mihara Yasuhiro, who will share his critiques with the finalists. The 16 shortlisted candidates will compete for five honours, including champion, first runner-up, second runner-up, the New Talent Award and Best Footwear Design Award. The winners will be announced on the same day.
Local online fashion hub Fashionally.com will feature its new Collection #14 fashion show on September 4, presenting eight rising local fashion designers and labels. Three up-and-coming Hong Kong brands, Charlotte Ng Studio, Fake Fan and SFZ & Son, will combine art installations with fashion parades at the Fashionally Presentation, providing a creative showcase for their latest collections.
A Meet the Visionaries seminar series will feature Centrestage Elites participants Anais Mak and Joseph Altuzarra, YDC VIP judge Mihara Yasuhiro, online fashion platform Goxip’s VP marketing Michele Tardelli, and Euromonitor International’s head of fashion research Jorge Martin.
Local NGO Redress will present the Redress Design Award, the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competition, on September 5, sponsored by CreateHK. The Knitwear Innovation and Design Society will present the Knitwear Symphony 2019 and the ninth Hong Kong Knitwear Designers’ Contest on September 6 to promote Hong Kong’s knitwear industry.
Centrestage 2019 is one of 90 fashion events during the Hong Kong In Fashion festival running between August 17 and September 30, which brings together more than 90 fashion boutiques, restaurants, hotels and cultural landmarks to generate “fashion heat” across the city.
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From left: Hong Kong celebrity Ashley Lam, fashion designer Anais Mak, and celebrities Rikko Lee and Heidi Lee, wearing Anais Jourden’s collection.
